The International Young Fashion Entrepreneur award (IYFE) is a British Council initiative that seeks to champion and celebrate the importance of creative entrepreneurs working in the field of fashion. The award is the result of a cross departmental collaboration between the Creative Economy Unit (CEU) and Design unit (DES) of the British Council to showcase international innovation in fashion promotion, using the UK as the nexus for cultural, creative and commercial exchange.
This award forms part of a global British Council award which has now expanded to cover all areas of the creative industries. In 2004 we launched the first award for entrepreneurs in publishing. This was followed by awards in design (2005), music (2006), screen (2007) and fashion (2008). We are now adding new awards in communications, interactive, performing arts and visual arts, so that we have awards covering all the creative industries.
London, 21 February 2009 Hilary Alexander, Fashion Director at the Daily Telegraph, presented the British Council’s International Young Fashion Entrepreneur 2009 (IYFE) award to Oscar Lawalata, Owner and Managing Director of PT Oscaroscar, Indonesia.
Oscar was presented with the financial prize, which is to be spent on a collaborative project between his own country and the UK, at London Fashion Week. Priya Kishore, Founder and Creative Director of Bombay Electric, India and Linda Speldewinde, Founder and Managing Director of Academy of Design, Sri Lanka, were given special commendations.
Oscar Lawalata has two boutiques and three labels: Oscar Lawalata Culture, Oscar Lawalata Couture and Oscar Lawalata for Uniforms and has won several awards and recognition across Asia.
The judges’ citation for Oscar reads:
“Oscar’s entrepreneurial approach uses product development and promotion to take traditional textiles onto the international fashion market, employing many in the process. His striking level of aesthetic and impressive understanding of local context and the inherent value of heritage is an approach which is to be commended. The judges believe that his approach is a model of best practice, which presents opportunity for the fashion sector in many emerging economies.”
The winner was selected following presentations to a UK-based industry jury. The judges for this year’s award were Carla Fernandez, Founder, Taller Flora and Winner of IYFE 2008 award; Wendy Malem MBA FCSD, Director, Centre for Fashion Enterprise; Alison Moloney, Acting Head, Design and Architecture Department, British Council; Lauretta Roberts, Editor, Drapers.
Celebrating its second year, the IYFE award programme has seen nine entrepreneurs from Brazil, India, Indonesia, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tunisia and Vietnam come to the UK. During this time they have immersed themselves in the UK fashion sector and have been introduced to entrepreneurs and exemplary initiatives in London and Nottingham.
The British Council’s Creative Economy Expert, Andrew Senior, said: “Entrepreneurship, alongside talent is essential if a strong and sustainable fashion industry is to be developed in an emerging economy. Most emerging economies lack the infrastructure that we take for granted in the UK. Recognising the achievements of fashion entrepreneurs and bringing them together in this way helps to consolidate the UK’s position as an international hub for the fashion sector and wider creative economy.”
The winner of the inaugural sibling award, UK Young Fashion Entrepreneur (UKYFE) was also announced at the joint awards ceremony. The winner is Simeon Hartwig, Owner and Designer at Bantum Clothing, a label that has established itself throughout boutique stockists in the UK.
For more information on this award visit http://www.creativeconomy.org.uk/YCE/index.asp?ID=32
All in all it was excellent exposure and a network building exercise at the highest levels of the UK fashion industry including quite a substantial amount of opportunities to go to many fashion shows held during the London fashion Week, which really opened my eyes and I met some of the most amazing people who were so high up there but yet so passionate about helping me develop things here. There is so much I really can do for the Creative industries in Sri Lanka as a result of the trip and I am ever so thankful to the British Council in Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka Telecom for giving me this opportunity. Now my objective is to see how I can translate all these ideas and the interest I have generated in the UK and use all this to build the creative industries here, I also need to now look at getting the government involved and other key stake holders at this point. “ – Linda Speldewinde, IYFE 09, National Winner Sri Lanka.
Linda Speldewinde
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